The beam of the searchlight, like a knife, cleaved through the smoke and dust, illuminating the face of the Hydra assault soldier at the forefront. He wore a gas mask, his gun already raised, with seven or eight teammates advancing in a fan shape behind him. Tactical lights swept across the ruins, locking onto the cover where Ye Mo and his team were hiding.
Captain America had barely raised his shield half an inch when a barrage of bullets sent Mars flying and left his arm numb. Emma Frost leaned against the corner of the second floor, her fingertips pressed to her temples, her lips almost bloodless. The mental interference was still holding, but the signal was beginning to falter. Bucky had set up his sniper rifle on the high ground, but the enemies were too spread out and their firepower too dense; he couldn't find a firing window. Black Widow crouched low, her hand reaching for the last smoke grenade, her eyes turning cold—this was her last chance.
Ye Mo crouched behind the load-bearing wall, his chest heaving. The dull pain from the Regeneration was still throbbing between his ribs, though the residual heat from his Steel Bone Transformation had long since dissipated. He looked down at his hands; his knuckles were white, and his palms were sweaty. He had almost lost his life trying to withstand the incendiary bombs with his Steel Bone, and now even standing up was a struggle.
But he knew he couldn't wait any longer.
The enemy's footsteps grew closer, and the tracked machine gun vehicle was already deployed twenty meters away, its cannon barrel slowly rotating. Ten more seconds, and they would be surrounded and riddled with bullets.
Just then, he "heard" it.
It wasn't a sound, but a sensation—a faint hum of electricity that only appears when the system is activated, flashed through his mind. Immediately afterward, a burning sensation shot up from the base of his spine, as if someone had inserted a red-hot wire into his nerve.
[High-energy thermal field detected. Should we fuse the ' Flame of Hela ' gene fragment?]
The system notification sound was as cold as if ice water had been poured over my head.
Ye Mo gritted his teeth, remaining silent, but roared in his mind, "Merge! Now!"
He didn't know where this ability came from, nor did he care. One second he was wondering if he was going to die here, and the next second, the heat inside his body was like a pot exploding, rushing up his blood vessels and making his scalp tingle.
He suddenly looked up and slapped the ground with both hands.
"Boom--!"
Crimson lines burst forth from his back, spreading down his shoulders and arms like magma flowing beneath his skin. In the next instant, two bursts of flame roared from his palms, soaring into the air like two crimson dragons and crashing violently into the corridor ahead!
The flames struck the first assault soldier's blast armor, instantly igniting the fuel tank. With a deafening roar, the blast wave knocked three men off their feet, and the fireball rolled across the ground, igniting a nearby ammunition box. A chain reaction erupted, with a series of explosions echoing through the corridor, billowing smoke and flames shooting into the sky.
The enemy formation was torn apart on the spot.
"Well done!" Captain America roared, immediately seizing the opportunity, swinging his shield and charging forward. Bucky fired simultaneously, his sniper scope locking onto the rear commander, destroying the communicator with a single shot. Black Widow took the opportunity to throw a smoke grenade, the gray-white smoke instantly enveloping the right-hand passage. In a flash, she had already infiltrated behind enemy lines.
Ye Mo didn't move.
He knelt on the ground, his hands supporting him, flames still dancing on his fingertips, but his forehead was covered in cold sweat. This ability came suddenly, but it was also strange—he felt like he was being roasted over a fire, his internal organs burning. To make matters worse, he had no control over the fire at all and could only watch helplessly as the flames burned up the ventilation shaft and ignited the cables on the ceiling.
Crackling sound—boom!
A large, charred piece of ceiling material crashed down, missing Emma Frost by only half a meter. She groaned and was forced to shrink back, her mental energy completely disconnected.
"Damn it!" Ye Mo cursed, quickly changing direction and pushing with both hands to forcibly split the flames. One stream was directed to the left pipe, while the other was forced towards the right fuel storage area. The wall of fire formed instantly, blocking the enemy's retreat route.
The intense heat distorted the air and blurred vision. Several Hydra agents in fireproof suits attempted to break through, but were forced back by the flames as soon as they surfaced. They panicked, started shouting, and their formation completely collapsed.
"Now!" Captain America shouted.
He rolled close to the edge of the firing line, his shield sweeping across and knocking down a staggering enemy. Bucky finished him off with a clean, decisive shot. Black Widow emerged from the smoke, her dagger slicing across his throat, her movements too fast to see. Emma Frost, though unsteady on her feet, still managed to unleash a final mental shock, instantly freezing the two agents in place, causing them to crouch down, clutching their heads.
Ye Mo was panting heavily, wanting to unleash another wave of fire, but as soon as he raised his hand, his arm twitched as if he had been electrocuted. He looked down and saw that the flames in his palm had weakened considerably, with only a few wisps of red light flickering.
"This won't do..." he muttered, "This thing is even harder than Steel Bone."
But he didn't back down.
Instead, he took two steps forward and stood in the center of the fire, like a red-hot iron stake. His hoodie was already charred at the edges, and his exposed arms were covered in red marks, but his eyes were fixed on the front, and he forced a smile, "Anyone else want to try the barbecue set meal? I have plenty here."
No one dared to touch the enemy.
The once-fierce assault team is now cornered by a wall of fire, surrounded by flames, with burning debris raining down from above. Some tried to climb into the ventilation shaft, but were forced out by the intense heat as soon as they entered, screaming as they rolled back to the ground.
Captain America rushed to Ye Mo's side, shield in front of him, and whispered, "How much longer can we hold out?"
"Five minutes at most." Ye Mo grinned, a small cut appearing at the corner of his mouth, from which blood seeped. "Any longer and I'd turn into a self-heating hot pot."
"Enough." Captain America nodded, then turned and shouted, " Bucky! Take out the remaining enemies! Black Widow, seal the exits! Emma Frost, can you still move?"
"Yes." Emma Frost stood up, leaning against the wall, her voice weak, but she still raised her hand. "I can hold them down for another three seconds."
"Three seconds is enough." Ye Mo took a deep breath and raised his hands again. This time, he dared not breathe fire over a large area, but concentrated it into a single point, condensing two fist-sized fireballs in his palms, holding them like hand grenades.
"Come on, give them a parting gift," he sneered.
Before the words were even finished, the person had already rushed out.
Captain America followed closely behind, his shield clearing the way. Bucky held the high ground, his gun locked on every head that tried to move. Black Widow circled to the right blind spot, her tactical knife pressed against her waist. Emma Frost closed her eyes, her mental energy spreading out one last time—
"Three... two..."
Ye Mo raised his hands, and the fireball flew out.
The first one slammed into the crowd and exploded with a deafening roar, the heatwave knocking three people off their feet. The second one hit the fuel tank valve precisely, melting the metal and spewing out high-pressure gas. Then—BOOM! The entire area was engulfed in flames, orange-red flames shooting into the sky, illuminating the ruins as if it were daytime.
The remaining enemy forces fled in panic, with nowhere left to retreat.
Captain America seized the opportunity, his shield flying from his hand, spinning and slicing through the knees of two men, taking them down instantly. Bucky finished them off with a clean and swift shot. Black Widow leaped out of the smoke, kicking the last gunman to the ground, and pressed a dagger against his throat.
"Surrender, or be burned at the stake," she said coldly.
The man threw down his gun, trembling.
The battle is over.
At least, this wave is over.
Ye Mo stood there, his hands hanging down, a few flickering flames still dancing at his fingertips. His breathing was heavy, his legs were a little weak, but he didn't fall. The firelight reflected on his face, half bright and half in shadow, making him look like a different person.
Captain America walked back, picked up the shield, glanced at him, and asked, "A new ability?"
"A makeshift solution." Ye Mo wiped his face, his hands covered in dust. "It was given to me by the system; I wasn't picky."
"Pretty impressive," Captain America rarely praised, "Just don't get yourself burned next time."
"I don't want to either," Ye Mo said with a wry smile. "It won't listen to me, it's like a rebellious teenager."
In the distance, Bucky holstered his sniper rifle, the mechanical arm emitting a soft hum of cooling. Black Widow unbuckled her tactical belt and tossed it to the ground. Emma Frost leaned against the wall, slowly sliding down to sit on the floor, too exhausted to speak.
But nobody relaxed.
Ye Mo looked up into the darkness at the end of the corridor. The firelight could only illuminate thirty meters ahead; beyond that, it was pitch black. He knew this was just the beginning. Hydra wouldn't send only this one group of people.
Moreover, the ability he just used was probably not free.
The heat in his body was receding, replaced by waves of cold. The Regeneration backlash wasn't over yet, and now, with the added strain of the flames, he felt like a French fry being repeatedly fried.
But he remained standing.
His hands still held embers, his breathing was heavy, and his gaze was sharp.
Captain America stood to his left, his shield charred black, his body covered in soot.
Bucky was on the high platform, white smoke billowing from the cooling vents of his robotic arm, his gun still pointed forward.
Black Widow was on the right flank; she had already thrown her last smoke grenade and her hand was on her pistol.
Emma Frost leaned against the corner of the second floor, her face pale, but her fingers were slightly raised, ready to fight again at any moment.
The fire is still burning.
The wind blew in through the broken window, making the flames flicker.
Ye Mo stared into the darkness and whispered, "Who's next?"